Work in Progress: Study of a Mad Golfer's Daughter
by Queen of the Waterfalls
Summary: Inspired by Andrea Churchill's Work In Progress: The Study of a Mad Golfer. The story of Duff Killigan's daughter Bessie, and her lifelong desire to have a mother of her own inside the lonely Killigan castle.
1. Mothers

Work in Progress: Study of a Mad Golfer's Daughter

**Inspired by Andrea Churchill's **_**Work In Progress: The Study of a Mad Golfer. **_**Both****the idea **_**AND**_** the title character belong to her. Although I don't own Bessie, I love the character, and I'm honored to come up with this story for her. UGH! Do I **_**HAVE **_**to go up to 100? I'm not sure if I can or **_**WILL**_** do anything of the sort, I'll do my very best, and I promise that I will actually finish this, whether or not I write 100 "chapters." **

**Although Andrea gave hers the highest rating, I'm only giving mine a **_**T **_**rating, and I'll do my best to make sure that there's nothing "too mature" in here. If there is, **_**PLEASE**_** don't be afraid to tell me. And yes, I know this story takes place in Scotland, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna have **_**ALL **_**my Scottish characters speak with a Scottish dialect. **_**Eh mean cuz writin' like tis is really annoyin' an' gets on meh nerves. Maybe eh'll write like tis fer eh few characters, bu' **__**NAE**__** fer everyone in te entire story! So **__**PLEASE**__** jus' use yer imaginations people! **_

**And one more thing. I don't own Bessie Killigan, Charlie, or Seamus. They all belong to Andrea. The **_**Kim Possible**_** characters aren't mine either, they belong to Disney and blah blah blah… so the other characters added in here belong to me. So anyways, happy reading lads an' lassies!**

Mothers

"What is a mother?" asked Miss Murgatroyd to a class of kindergartners. Tiny energetic hands immediately shot up in the air to answer.

"She makes the best haggis in the world!" one child shouted.

"She reads me bedtime stories every night!" another hollered.

More and more answers shot across the room as the entire class yelled out more answers-until finally Miss Murgatroyd allowed the youngsters to make cards for Mothering Sunday coming up this weekend. All the children rushed to the crafts table and made grabs for the construction paper and the good markers to make the perfect card for their mothers.

That is-all the children except for Bessie Killigan. She had been sitting quietly in her desk the entire time. She didn't raise her hand or yell out answers with her classmates, nor did she run to grab crafting utensils and make a card. Bessie simply sat there all by her lonesome. Miss Murgatroyd noticed the smallest, timid student sitting alone and couldn't help but sense that something was wrong. She wanted to comfort the poor lass, but what could she do? She was only the student teacher, a mere helper for the regular instructor Mrs. Lennox.

And what wouldshe say anyway? She's never said a word to the child before. She normally saw Bessie at recess, where children have bullied her countless times-even to the point where the child broke down in tears. Miss Murgatroyd was a kindhearted young lass, and she always yearned to run to Bessie's aid whenever she witnessed her being tortured, but Mrs. Lennox instructed her otherwise.

_Pay no attention to the lassie! She's a Killigan! She deserves everything that comes to her. Don't you_ dare _feel sorry for her, Murgatroyd!_

Reluctantly, the student teacher kept her distance as she was told, but no order could possibly stop her from even keeping wee Bessie in her thoughts. Miss Murgatroyd wasn't a Scotland native, so she knew very little about Bessie or her family, but she'd heard everyone: neighbors, a few friends, even members of the faculty gossip and say nasty things about her father Duff Killigan, whom they called "the world's deadliest golfer." She didn't know what horrendous act a simple golfer could've done to earn such a reputation, but was it so bad that no one, not even the teachers had a heart for Bessie? She couldn't possibly have done anything wrong. She was only six years old!

But…Mrs. Lennox was absent for the day-which made Miss Murgatroyd the teacher-in charge of the class for the entire day. What Mrs. Lennox doesn't know surely won't kill her, and the children were happily busy making cards for their mothers, so no one would notice if she talked to Bessie. And that's just what she did. She made her way from the excited, rambunctious children all the way to Bessie at her isolated desk.

"Hello Bessie," she greeted with a smile. Her Yorkshire accent sounded gentle and welcoming.

But Bessie didn't even look at Miss Murgatroyd. "Hullo," she muttered.

The teacher's mind went blank at the child's response and found herself speechless. Clearly she hadn't given herself much time to come up with a good conversation.

"Why are you sitting here by yourself, lassie?" was all that passed Miss Murgatroyd's lips. "Don't you want to make a card to take home?"

Bessie didn't answer. She stayed silent-still refusing to face Miss Murgatroyd. But the young teacher decided to stay by her side and wait patiently for the child to answer. Miss Murgatroyd had never talked to Bessie before, but that didn't mean she wasn't like everyone else in the school: cruel and vicious, calling her mean names and making her cry. Why should Bessie say anything to _her _anyways?Did she come by to mock her like the children and Mrs. Lennox always have?

After what seemed like hours, Bessie turned her head slightly to find Miss Murgatroyd still standing beside her. Miss Murgatroyd had not uttered a word, yet she seemed nothing like Mrs. Lennox. She didn't demand an answer from Bessie, neither did she give her a nasty glare like Mrs. Lennox normally would. Rather than nasty, her azure eyes were soft and warm-as though they were smiling. And just by looking in her eyes, Bessie knew that Miss Murgatroyd truly did care for her and decided to trust her after all.

She finally turned and completely faced her teacher-with tears dripping down her face."I-I don't have a ma," Bessie whimpered, her voice breaking and her lip gently quivering."I don't want to make a card for my ma if I don't have a ma to give it to." More tears fell from Bessie's eyes and she broke into a harder sob.

Miss Murgatroyd was slightly caught off guard at Bessie's weeping. She never expected her to suddenly burst out with emotion. Normally she was such a quiet and introverted child in the classroom. But still-she was the teacher, and it was her job to console and cheer up the students.

"And that is quite all right, Bessie," Miss Murgatroyd soothed. "You know…Mothering Sunday isn't a day _just _for mums. Do you have a…a grandma…or an aunt you admire?"

Bessie sadly shook her head, wiping a few tears with her palm. "No. There's only my Aunt Mary, but she doesn't like me much."

"And why not?" Miss Murgatroyd asked. "You seem like an awful nice girl."

Bessie simply shrugged. "She doesn't look at me. She never does."

Miss Murgatroyd sat quiet and pondered to herself for a while. What else could she do for Bessie? The lass had no mother, no grandmother, no decent aunt; not a motherly figure she could show her love or appreciation to, and at this time of year!

The teacher couldn't possibly imagine how terrible-not to mention how left out the child must feel. No wonder she didn't run with the other children to make a card. But just because Bessie didn't have a mother didn't mean she had to be shunned from the celebration, not even from making a simple card. Miss Murgatroyd took a quick look back to the crafts table, and-almost at an instant-an idea emerged inside her mind.

"Wait right here, Bessie," she gently ordered. "I'll be right back."

Bessie patiently waited as she was told while her teacher left for a few moments, only to find her returning with construction paper, markers, a glue stick, and safety scissors; everything needed to make a Mother's Day card! She knew exactly what was coming and didn't like it at all, but before Bessie could even open her mouth to protest, Miss Murgatroyd had piled everything onto her desk.

"What's this?" Bessie demanded. "I said I didn't want to make a card for Mothering Sunday!"

Miss Murgatroyd smiled at her lovingly. "You're not going to make a Mothering Sunday card."

Miss Murgatroyd's words befuddled Bessie, and she gave the teacher a clearly puzzled look. "I'm not?"

"Absolutely not," she responded, still smiling at the child. "You're going to make what I call…a Card of Your Choosing."

"A Card of Your Choosing?" Bessie repeated with slight curiosity and excitement in her voice. The name alone already caught her attention. "What's that?"

"Well…it…it's very simple," Miss Murgatroyd explained. "You make a card, and…you take whatever's in that little heart of yours onto the card. You can be as creative and wild as you want with it, which will make the Card of Your Choosing so special."

_A Card of Your Choosing? _Bessie _loved _the sound of that. Her face even lit up at the thought. But her face slowly grew dim and her smile faded. "I don't have to give my card away, do I?"

The teacher shook her head. "Not if you don't want to. See, the Card of Your Choosing will be _yours_. You can choose to keep it for yourself, or to save it and give it to someone. It's perfect for any occasion, or even no occasion at all. That's why it's called a Card of Your Choosing."

Miss Murgatroyd's words reassured Bessie, and her face lit up once more, this time with an even bigger smile. "Oh! That makes sense!"

She chuckled at the child's enthusiasm. Bessie had such a beautiful smile. It warmed her heart to finally see it.

"Why don't you get started on the card?" Miss Murgatroyd folded the red construction paper in half to help her get started, and all at once Bessie's excitement bounded off the walls at the sight of her soon to be Card of Your Choosing.

"Hey! Red's my favorite color!" she giggled, bouncing up and down in her seat.

"Is that so?" Miss Muragtroyd laughed with Bessie. "Well I'm very glad I picked it for you."

"Aye," Bessie agreed, still bouncing in her seat.

"Don't tire yourself lassie," the teacher cautioned, although still laughing a bit. She could tell that Bessie was now getting rowdy and lightly placed her hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "Remember to save the rest for your card."

"OH yeah!" Bessie exclaimed. She grabbed the card from Miss Murgatroyd faster than either of them could think and got started right away.

Miss Murgatroyd smiled to herself as she witnessed Bessie-who was sad and lonely earlier, working her spirited and happy heart away on her Card of Your Choosing.

"I'll leave you alone to your work."

Bessie didn't notice that the teacher had left her alone. She was far too busy working on her card. She snipped and colored and glued all over her card, making absolute certain that it'd turn out as perfect as can be. Never did she have so much fun working on a craft before, and in school of all places! This was her first time actually enjoying herself in school, thanks to Miss Murgatroyd.

She in fact was having so much fun that she almost didn't hear the school bell go off. Bessie carefully placed her Card of Your Choosing inside her backpack and lined up with the rest of her classmates, walking in a straight line until they reached the gate, where all the children ran to meet with their parents who had been waiting to take them home.

Bessie didn't have anyone waiting to take her home, not at the school entrance anyway. She had a special way of getting home. She was heading her way to be picked up when she felt a hard shove on the back and fell straight to the ground. She quickly looked up to see who had pushed her, and sure enough-it was Roy Lennox-Mrs. Lennox's curly red-headed little boy.

"Watch where yer goin', ye diddy!" he sneered, flashing a mocking smile in her face. Bessie picked herself up from the ground and brushed herself off, walking away in silence as Roy's cackling was heard behind her.

Out of all the kids in school who ever picked on and bullied Bessie Killigan, Roy Lennox picked on her the most. He was the meanest, rudest, most obnoxious lad in the entire world. His curly red hair alone brought bad news to Bessie, as it had all year long. He cut off one of her pigtails on the first day of school; and while she sat in her desk crying her eyes out, his mother-the teacher-praised him, instead of punishing him for his childish prank.

Roy never said he was sorry to Bessie. He never said sorry for every mean thing he's done to her: from calling her names to pushing and tripping her all over the schoolyard. He was the one who got all the children to start bullying and picking on her at recess. What'd she ever _do_ to him anyway? Why did he have to be so mean to her?

Bessie continued walking, putting the "Roy" situation aside, until she finally made it to the beach. She carefully looked around, making sure no one was watching. When the coast was clear, she stepped onto the beach and sat near the ocean, patiently waiting for her ride. She waited and waited, playing with the sand and shells around her until she saw an enormous sea monster-like creature rise out of the water.

"Hullo Charlie!" Bessie greeted the giant beast.

Charlie lowered his head and she carefully climbed on. Once she had settled herself onto his scaly head, Charlie turned towards the ocean and gradually sailed across the water, careful not to drop his tiny mistress.

Charlie belonged to Bessie's father, and Charlie was one of her very few, but very dear, friends. Bessie was overjoyed when she first met him because she thought he was the Loch Ness monster, which Duff had to remind her over a million times that he _wasn't _Nessie, just a gift from his friend DNAmy. Since she rode Charlie to school every day, Duff warned his daughter not to tell about, or show Charlie to anyone outside the Killigan castle in risk of losing him, so she was extra careful to keep him out of sight. It was just too bad Charlie wasn't the Loch Ness monster. If he was, she'd definitely show him off to all of Scotland, including her classmates. Just imagine: _wee Bessie is friends wit' ol' Nessie! _Everyone would want to be her friend then.

Riding on top of Charlie's head all the way home was Bessie's favorite part of the day, especially after a hard day at school. She loved how the ocean breeze lightly whipped at her face, and the smell-not once had the captivating smell of the salty waters failed to help her forget her troubles. She was the queen of the ocean, and Charlie's head was her throne.

But Bessie's reign shortly came to an end once Charlie reached the Killigan castle. Bessie was sad-she didn't want her peaceful sailing to end so soon-but then again she also couldn't wait to go home and see her dad. Aside from sailing on top of Charlie's head, having her dad welcome her home from school was her ultimate favorite part of the day. From the moment she'd burst through the castle doors, Duff would lift her up from the ground and spin her round and attack her face with kisses. And if he was in a really good mood, he'd fix her a batch of delicious haggis with a bowl waiting just for her.

Charlie lowered his neck for Bessie, just low enough for his head to touch Duff's mossy golf course. She jumped off Charlie's head and landed safely on the ground, and without giving a second thought she started to run. She ran nonstop as fast as her wee legs could carry her-careful of course to avoid the booby traps-until she reached the castle doors. With all her strength, she pulled one of the giant doors open and bolted inside.

"Daddy!" she called-but much to her dismay-no one answered. Her echo was all that was heard inside the castle. She look around, but her father was nowhere in sight. Where was he? Was he not home? Bessie shook her head at the thought. No. He just had to be home.

Perhaps he was in the kitchen making haggis. _Aye, that's where he is,_ she reassured herself. She ran to the kitchen hoping to find her dad, but to her dismay yet again, he was not there either. Not even a bowl of haggis was waiting for her.

Poor Bessie couldn't help but feel disappointed. She'd wanted to see him so badly. She could feel tears swelling up in her eyes, but quickly held them back as much as she could. She knew better than to cry about something so silly. Duff Killigan was a professional golfer after all, so it wasn't like she didn't know where he was. If he wasn't home, he had to be off at a golf tournament or something. Duff would be gone for hours, sometimes even days at a time golfing off the island, but that never stopped his young daughter from waiting-eagerly even-for him to return. Bessie wasn't afraid to stay inside the castle by herself for so long; Duff has always left her home alone, but still-school for her was such a lonely place, and coming back to an empty castle didn't exactly set her spirits high.

"DADDY!" Bessie called out again, still hoping that her father was somewhere within the castle. She received an answer that time-but not from Duff.

"Woof woof!" Just then a black Scottie ran down the castle stairs at full speed to greet his small owner. His wee tail wagged furiously with excitement the whole way.

Bessie's spirits were immediately raised, and a smile spread across her face as the wee doggie scurried towards her. "Hi Seamus!" She bent down to scratch his furry head, and when she did, he immediately jumped at her and licked her entire face, thus tickling her and sending her rolling about on the floor, laughing like crazy. Bessie was glad that she could always count on Seamus to welcome her home, especially when Duff couldn't. At least he'd never leave the island for days to golf somewhere far, and he attacks her with more kisses than her father ever does.

After those _long _moments of rolling around, Bessie finally shoved the dog off and stood up to catch her breath and brush herself off. She was tired from goofing around so much, but she could definitely tell that Seamus still wanted to play. He kept jumping up and down at her legs and his wee tail was still wagging furiously.

"Hey, you wanna play golf with me, Seamus?" Bessie asked her doggie. His pointy ears immediately perked up at the word "golf" and he got even _more _jumpy and excited.

She could not help but giggle at her silly Scottie jumping around and about. "I knew you would, sweet boy." She ran up the castle stairs to her room-with Seamus following behind-to snatch the plastic balls and clubs placed beside her bed, and raced Seamus all the way down and outside to Duff's golf course.

Bessie picked up one of her plastic balls and gently placed it onto the grassy field. Carefully eyeing the first hole straight ahead, she picked up her club and raised it high in the air, hollering "FOOOOOOORE!" at the top of her lungs-just as she'd seen her father do many times-and took a hard, powerful swing. But despite her effort, the ball only made a few small bounces and didn't even come close to the first hole. All it did was catch Seamus's attention, who took off barking and chasing after it like always.

Okay, so Bessie wasn't the best golfer compared to Duff, but that didn't mean she still couldn't enjoy the game. Besides, there was something about golf that made her so…so…happy: picking up a club and swinging at the ball, watching it fly high in the sky, or simply rolling down the field. It didn't even matter to her whether or not the ball made it into the hole. But Bessie knew that someday-yes, someday-she _will _be a golfing champion-just like Duff. Who knows? Maybe even better than Duff. Once she's a golf champion, instead of rolling and bouncing down the field, her balls will actually soar high-so high in fact that they will all land straight into the hole without a single miss. And she won't use plastic clubs and toy balls either. No, she will use _real _golf clubs to hit _real _golfballs with. But for now, she was just happy playing the sport with Seamus on the island, even if all he did was bark and chase after her toy balls.

Bessie played golf for the rest of the day until she saw that it was getting dark out. She then decided to go back inside with Seamus and put her clubs and balls back up in her room to where they belonged, but Seamus didn't follow behind her. Instead he laid by the fireplace to rest. He was no longer excited and jumpy, he was now tuckered out and out of breath from all the running. Bessie also felt tired and sore from playing all day. She collapsed onto her bed the moment she threw her golfing equipment aside and immediately drifted off to sleep.

She didn't even realize she had fallen asleep until she heard Seamus barking downstairs. She got out of bed to see exactly what he was barking at, only to find Duff walking inside. Wait, Duff? In the castle? Earlier than usual? Bessie could hardly believe her eyes. Was this a dream? She pinched herself on the arm just to be sure. Nope. She was fully awake, and her father's home early. But he did not come home alone. Bessie saw a tall and highly beautiful woman walk in from behind. Seamus barked and growled at her the moment she stepped through the castle doors. He was not at all happy with the arrival of this strange woman.

"Back off, ye ratwag!" Duff scolded at the dog, kicking him to the side while escorting the young lass inside. Who was she anyway, and why did she follow Duff home? Perhaps this was her mother-coming back after so long-and just in time for Mothering Sunday? Bessie's hopes immediately skyrocketed at the thought. Then she remembered the Card of Your Choosing she made in class and ran back to her room to get it out of her backpack. Good thing it wasn't a Mothering Sunday card, otherwise she'd have to wait two **WHOLE **days to give it to her "ma". Bessie ran with the card in hand to give it away, but Duff had already led the woman into his bedroom and closed the door before she even had the chance to. Oh well. Bessie didn't mind waiting til morning to give her the card. Besides, she knew better than to just barge into her father's room, and if she did he'd tell her to go to bed anyway. So she walked back to her room and put the card under her pillow, then gently fell back asleep.

When Bessie woke up early the next morning, she quickly pulled the card out from underneath her pillow, jumped right out of bed, and zipped on to her father's room. Never before had she felt so excited in all her life. _Just wait til Ma sees her card! _she thought. _She's gonna be so happy, and she'll love me forever and ever!_

She soon approached her father's room, with the door still closed. Suppose he and Ma were still asleep? She raised a fist to knock softly, but she heard smashing and her father screaming inside. Uh oh. He sounded mad in there, and Bessie knew better than to even go _near _Duff whenever he's furious about something. But...her ma was inside with him...and she still had the card to give away...Bessie slowly reached her hand out to the door handle. _Do I dare? _She pulled the door open-slowly still. If she went in _**reeaally**_quick, she could give her ma the card and still be able to avoid her father's rantings. But before she even stepped inside, a round, white object whipped across the room and slammed into her eye.

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

Realizing what had happened, Duff heard his daughter shriek after and ran quickly to her aid. "Bessie! Are ye okay, pumpkin? Whut happened?"

Bessie placed a hand over her injured eye. "I-I don't know. Something hit my eye and-and it really hurts!" she explained as much as she could with tears dripping down her face.

"Shh shh tis okay Bessie," Duff soothed. "Here, come wit' meh. Ehm gonna take ye te the lab an' get eh good look a' yer eye." As well as being an all-time golfing champion, Duff also studied medical, which came in handy in situations like this. He carried his daughter up the stairs to his lab to examine her eye. He then gently set her down on his examining table and took his daughter's hand off her eye to take a look at it. It didn't look too bad. Her eye was only bruised, but Bessie still looked quite scared.

"Tis okay Bessie," Duff reassured her, rubbing his finger against her cheek. "Yer eye's jus' bruised, tha's all. Ye jus' need an ice pack te make it better." He wrapped a pack of ice in a paper towel and carefully placed it over her eye. "There now, is tha' better sweetheart?"

Bessie nodded. "Uh huh."

"Good." Her father set her down from the examining table and kissed her cheek. "Now, eh've got eh tournament te go te today, so yer gonna be home by yerself fer eh while."

Bessie only nodded once more. She was used to her father coming home and leaving so quickly. She didn't like it, but she was used to it. "Okay Daddy."

It wasn't long until Duff got himself dressed, grabbed his clubs and balls, and headed out the castle doors. Once he had left, Bessie went to her father's room. She found the Card of Your Choosing on the floor and picked it up. She must've dropped it when her eye was hit. Since her father wasn't inside, she walked into his room-this time with confidence.

"Hullo?" she called. "Ma? Are you in here?" No one answered. She looked everywhere in Duff's room to find the beautiful woman she saw last night, but she couldn't find her anywhere.

"HULLLLOOOOOO! MA, WHERE ARE YOU?" So she searched the entire castle looking for her, but sadly, with no luck at all. Bessie was all alone-with her father off at another golf tournament-and now without a mother once again.

Bessie looked down at the card in her hand, and her eyes leaked yet again with bitter tears. Suppose the woman Duff was with last night wasn't her mother after all. She should've known it was too good to be true. Of course she wasn't her mother, because Bessie _never _had a mother to begin with. Now she had _no one_ to give the card to, and she _won't _becelebrating Mothering Sunday like the other children will be with _their _mothers.

Seamus slowly walked up to Bessie and nosed at her leg, his tail happily wagging as always. "Not now, Seamus," she sniffed, pushing him to the side. "I don't wanna play now." The Scottie sensed the sadness inside his wee mistress and didn't beg anymore. Instead, he laid beside her with his head on her leg for her comfort.

Bessie smiled at her doggie and stroked his head. At least he'd never abandon her.

"Think I'll have a ma of my own someday, Seamus?" The wee Scottie looked up at his wee mistress and wagged his tail in response.

Bessie sighed. "I hope so too. I'd trade in my golf clubs just to have a ma inside the castle with me. I can give her the card, and she'll love me forever and ever. Then me and you won't be lonely so much Seamus."

**Sorry if this was so long and so boring. Don't worry, this is only the first chapter I promise this story will be **_**MUCH**_** more interesting in the future. Leave a comment, favorite it, whatever else it is you "fanfiction" people do. ;) **


	2. Allan

Work in Progress: Study of a Mad Golfer's Daughter

**Inspired by Andrea Churchill's **_**Work in Progress: Study of a Mad Golfer. **_**Both the idea **_**AND**_** the title character belong to her. Although I don't own Bessie, I love the character, and I'm honored to come up with this story for her. UGH! Do I **_**HAVE **_**to go up to 100? I'm not sure if I can, or **_**WILL**_** do anything of the sort, I'll do my very best, and I promise that I will actually finish this, whether or not I write a 100 "chapters." **

**Although Andrea gave hers the highest rating, I'm only giving mine a **_**T**_** rating, and I'll do my best to make sure there's nothing "too mature" in here. If there is, **_**PLEASE **_**don't be afraid to tell me. And yes, I know this story takes place in Scotland, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna have **_**ALL **_**my Scottish characters speak with a Scottish dialect. **_**Eh mean cuz writin' like tis is really annoyin' an 'gets on meh nerves. Maybe eh'll write like tis fer eh few characters, bu' NAE fer ev'ryone in te entire story! So PLEASE jus' use yer imaginations people! **_

**And one more thing. I don't own anyone in the Killigan family: Allan, Will, Mary, or the wee babies. They all belong to Andrea. To be honest, I only came up with names for the babies. That's all. The **_**Kim Possible **_**characters aren't mine either, they belong to Disney and blah blah blah…so the other characters added here belong to me. So anyways, happy reading lads n' lassies!**

Allan

A few months passed by slowly on the Killigan island, but absolutely nothing had changed within the castle walls. Duff still left Bessie home alone to go golfing (or so he always told her) for long hours—or even days—and returned with a different woman almost every night. Of course he tried doing this out of his daughter's sight. He had to hold it together for her after all. But Bessie always managed to catch her father without him knowing, and with each woman he brought home, she always hoped that one of them would actually live in the castle and be her mother. Unfortunately, none of them ever stayed for more than one night and were long gone by the time Bessie woke up the next morning. However, the wee lass refused to give up hope. She knew more than anything that there was a mother for her out there somewhere, and that it wouldn't be long until Duff found her and brought her home, where she'd forever stay with them and be a complete and happy family.

Bessie felt certain that happiness was in store for her, but little did she know that the exact opposite was headed her way when a knock was heard at the castle door. As usual, Seamus barked at the incoming intruder as Bessie answered the door, half-hoping that Duff had come home early. Instead, a tall scary man stood outside, staring down at her and ignoring the barking Scottie.

"Is Duff Killigan home?" he asked the lass.

Bessie paused for a moment to answer. "Umm…no, he's not. He's out golfing right now."

"Oh, is he?" The tall man knelt down to Bessie's height. "And are you Elspeth Cathella Killigan?"

"Who the heck is that? My name is _Bessie___Killigan," she corrected.

"My apologies," the tall man chuckled lightly. "How old are you Bessie?"

"I am six years old, and I just graduated from kindergarten," she boasted with pride.

"Much congratulations to you lassie," the tall man smiled. "Say, do you remember your granpa Allan Killigan?"

"Allan Killigan?" Bessie echoed. She never really met her grandfather, but she did recall him visiting the castle a few times, often fighting and yelling at her father about things she didn't quite understand. "Aye, I remember him."

"Splendid!" the tall man smiled, but it wasn't a happy smile, or at least—Bessie didn't think it was a happy smile. "Because your granpa wants you to…take a visit to his home on the mainland."

"He does?" Bessie questioned.

"Oh aye. Told me so himself. He even asked me to drop you off at his place."

"Then how come _he _didn't come by to get me? Why did he send _you_?"

"Who needs te know?" he snapped unexpectedly, which scared Bessie a bit. "I mean…he didn't want to cause any problems with your pa."

"Oh…well you coulda just said that!"

"I know, and I'm sorry lassie," the tall man apologized. "I don't know what came over me. But anyways, what do you say? Are you up for paying your granpa a visit?"

"Huh…I don't know…my daddy probably wouldn't like that. He likes me to stay home when he's not here."

"Oh. Okay then. I understand…but would you change your mind for a wee treat?" The tall man pulled out a box of spark rocks from his pocket and dangled it above her face. "Do you like spark rocks?"

"I LOVE spark rocks!" Bessie exclaimed, her eyes following the tiny box above her head in a trance-like manner. "They're the best candy in the world!"

"Do you want it lassie?"

Bessie nodded her head up and down. "Uh huh."

"Well then—what if I told you that you can have this box of spark rocks—_if_ you allow me to sail you to your granpa's?"

"Okay! You can take me! Just gimme the spark rocks!" Bessie demanded, jumping up and down to grab it.

"Very well child." The tall man dropped the box of candy at Bessie's feet and quickly shut the door once she dashed out to pick it up off the ground. "And now that you have your candy, let's be off." He took the wee lass by the hand and helped her into his boat docked on shore, then sailed off into the ocean, far away from the Killigan island.

Bessie didn't quite enjoy the boat ride to her grandfather's. She didn't feel very high and queenly like she did when riding on top of Charlie, and the breeze didn't feel quite as soothing either; actually, she felt sick! Perhaps wolfing down on spark rocks while sailing in a rocking boat wasn't a smart idea.

Bessie's stomach was able to settle once she and the tall man finally arrived at the mainland. "So where does Grandpa Allan live?" she asked him once they'd docked on shore.

"You'll know when we get there lassie," was all the tall man said as he carried her out of his boat.

"Does he bide in a giant castle like me and Daddy?"

"Aye, you could say that." He took Bessie by the hand once more and led her through the busy, huddled streets of Scotland. It was a long, aggravating walk, and Bessie felt squished with everyone bustling and hurrying in huge crowds. Her stomach certainly felt crushed the entire way. Now she _really_ wished she hadn't eaten those spark rocks all at once.

"Are we almost there?" she whined.

"You'll know when we get there lassie," the tall man repeated, this time with a slight snarl in his throat.

"But I'm tired! And my tummy hurts!"

"Haud yer wheeshed, will ye?" he roared. "Ye can cooch doon an' rest when we get te yer granpa's, bu' we won't get there any faster wit' yer whinin' an' complainin', so wheesht yer geggy an' keep walkin'!"

The tall man's yelling startled Bessie, but instead of fighting back, she stayed silent like she was told and kept on walking beside him, biting her lip the whole way to keep herself from crying.

Bessie walked alongside the tall man in silence, but as they continued walking she saw that they were no longer in the crowded streets—but in a dark forest. Bessie's spine prickled with chills as she strolled through the woods. She'd never been anywhere so…so spooky in her whole life. No doubt that this forest had to be crawling with monsters and man-eating beasts just waiting to gobble her up…and she'd eaten spark rocks…which meant that she had to be extra tasty! She held onto the tall man's hand tightly for protection.

"A-Are we there yet?" she whimpered softly.

"Aye, we're here," the tall man responded, stopping in his place.

"We are?" Bessie looked up and beheld—not a castle, but a large mansion towering over her. _This _is where Granpa Allan lives? "I thought you said my granpa bides in a castle."

"I never said that lassie," the tall man replied, heading towards to the door. "but doesn't it look like a castle?"

Bessie shook her head. "Not like the one I bide in."

"Eh…you'll get used to it." His finger pushed on the doorbell and the door opened, with Bessie's burly and gruff grandfather standing on the other side.

"Aye?"

"I brought the lass over just like I said I would Mr. Killigan," the tall man said with a rather wicked expression.

Allan looked down at Bessie with a satisfied smile on his face. "Well done Mr. Stewart, now here's te pay eh promised ye." He opened his sporran and pulled out stacks of pounds. "An' meh son doesn't know abou' tis, does he?"

The tall man shook his head. "Nope. The lass was in the castle by herself."

Allan smiled even wider. "Meh lad, ye've done eh _pure_ dullion job!" Both men shook hands and the tall man went on his way once Allan rewarded him the money.

"Who wus a' te door, Pa?" asked a voice.

Allan turned to face his son. "Only yer wee bonnie niece Bessie, Will."

Will walked towards Bessie and looked down at her with a smirk. "Oh, ye mean Duff's 'condom mistake'?"

_Condom mistake?_ Bessie thought. What does that mean? It sure didn't sound nice.

Allan stifled a smile as much as he could, but he kept a serious and stern expression. "Now Will…there's nae need fer tha'. We need te make Bessie feel welcome since she'sgoin' te be bidin' wit' meh now."

"I am?" Bessie cried, taken by much surprise. "Wait, no I'm not! The tall man said that I was only visiting you, granpa. He gave me spark rocks so I could come here!"

"Di' he now?" Allan asked innocently. "He must've telt ye wrong Bessie, because he brought ye here te _bide _wit' meh, nae _visit_."

"But…I don't wanna bide in here. I wanna stay with my daddy at the castle."

"Eh realize tha' Bess, bu' yer pa's…nae eh good man; he cannae take care o' ye.

"My daddy _is _good!" Bessie protested. "And he can _too _take care of me!"

Allan looked as though he was about to blow his top, but instead took a deep breath and looked…"calm" again. "Ye don' understand lassie. He's become too much o' eh dangerous influence on ye, an' he leaves ye alone a' te castle too much—and fer far too long. Ye cannae 'ave tha'; ye need someone like meh te stay home an' look after ye."

"I'm never home alone. My doggie Seamus and sea monster Charlie are always there for me to play with."

Allan shook his head disapprovingly. "Animals don' count meh dear. Ye need eh person, most preferably eh ma a' te castle wit' ye…"

"But granpa, I don't have a ma…"

"Sure ye do lassie," Will chimed in. "Didn't yer pa ever tell ye abou' her?"

Bessie shook her head. "No, he didn't. I just thought I didn't have one."

Will rolled his eyes in annoyance. "O' course ye do, ye fud! Ev'ryone has eh ma, bu' we don' know much abou' her either."

"You don't, Uncle Will?"

"All we know is tha' yer pa met eh lass fae off te streets, an' one day she left ye—eh wee babe—on te doorstep fer him te look after by himself."

As Bessie heard this, her face began to shine with excitement. "So…so I really _do_ have a ma, Uncle Will?" she asked. "What did she look like? Where is she now?"

"How should eh know?" Will snapped. "No one's met her bu' yer pa, an' eh honestly don' care te meet her fer mehself."

"Bu' Bess, since ye don' 'ave eh ma livin' a' te castle," Allan explained. "it's now meh job as yer grandfather te take care o' ye."

Too excited to pay attention to what either Will or Allan were saying, Bessie ran upstairs to a different room in the mansion by herself. "I _do _have a ma!" she squealed. Okay, so her mother left Bessie on the castle doorstep and was never seen again, but still! She had a mother all along! She looked in the mirror to take a good look at herself. Suppose her mother has wavy, coal black hair just like Bessie? Or do they share the same blue-green eyes that sparkle in the sunlight? Or perhaps they share the same light, ivory skin, with just some pink in the cheeks? Bessie still couldn't believe it—she really _did_ have a ma out there! With all her heart, shehoped for the chance to meet her mother in person someday. She would give anything just to see her face.

"WHUT'RE YE DOIN'?" Bessie heard a cold hiss from behind that made her wee heart—_and_ her stomach—burst right out. She quickly turned to find the one woman she feared the most…Uncle Will's wife Mary, stomping towards Bessie with her twin babies Brian and Belle held tightly in each arm. "Whut're ye doin' 'ere in yer granpa's mansion?" she demanded, her piercing, colder-than-ice hazel eyes glaring down at Bessie.

"I-I-I…" the lass stuttered, her heart pounding faster and harder by the second against her chest just by looking into her aunt's eyes.

"Eh-Eh-Eh…" Mary mocked. "Are ye daft or somethin'? Speak up now!"

"I-I bide in here now…" Bessie answered, her voice trembling. She could feel her stomach getting queasy again.

Mary's eyebrows immediately shot up in response. "Ye _bide_ in here now?" Uh oh. Now she looked bloody furious. Bessie could definitely feel those spark rocks churning _hard_ inside her stomach.

"Look lassie, eh don' really care tha' yer now bidin' in yer granpa's mansion, bu' eh have te put te twins doon fer their nap, so get ou' o' 'ere before eh give yer erse eh chibbin, ye hear meh?"

Bessie opened her mouth to respond, but spark rocks were all that spewed from her mouth and all over Mary's shoes.

"LOOK A' WHUT YE'VE DONE, YE FUD!" Mary shrieked. "THESE ARE MEH FAVORITE SHOES!"

Allan heard the screaming and ran up the stairs. "WHUT TE HELL IS GOIN' ON UP HERE?" he bellowed.

"Look! Look a' whut yer dobber o' eh granddaughter di' te meh shoes, Allan!"

"Whut di' she even do?"

Mary growled in frustration and slipped her mucky shoes off her feet and stomped out of the room. "Eh'll put te twins doon in eh different room!"

"Bessie, whut dye do?" Allan demanded.

"I uh…barfed on Aunt Mary's shoes…" Bessie confessed, her eyes lookin sorry.

"Ye mean ye made eh mess in _meh _house?" he barked in Bessie's face, scaring her to bits. "Eh've got eh rule in tis house, an' tha's te keep it _spotless! _If _ye _make eh mess, _ye _have te clean it up!"

"But…But I don't know how to clean up throw up…" she whimpered.

"Figure it out! Ye live in _meh_ castle now, so yer gonna live by _meh _rules!"

"Uhh….granpa Allan…you live in a mansion, not a castle," Bessie corrected.

Allan gave his granddaughter an angry, dirty look. "Eh know where eh live! Jus'…go clean up yer mess!"

Without questioning, Bessie ran all over the spacious mansion to find ways to clean up her mess. She returned moments later with a wet towel, but Allan snatched it out of her hands.

"No! Nae tis towel, lassie! How daft are ye?"

"Why not this towel?" Bessie argued. "I think this towel can clean!"

"Tis is meh _good _towel! Ye don' use tis merely fer cleanin' up dirty messes!" He threw the towel at the wee lassie's face. "Try again!"

Bessie pulled the moist towel off her face and ran off to find something else, certainly something "invaluable," to clean up the vomit. So…this is where she'll be biding in now? So far it didn't seem like "home sweet home" to her, especially while living with Allan Killigan.

**So how do you guys like this so far? Sorry it took a while to update, but I had to wait til I got my own laptop to actually write and save my work. I also apologize that it's not so long compared to the first chapter, but I had to get it up before Disney Pixar's **_**Brave**_** was released in theaters, which **_**also **_**takes place in Scotland. (I cannot **_**WAIT**_** to see that movie!) But I promise it won't take me so long to get chapter 3 up since I finally have my own laptop. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think! **


	3. Rescue

Work in Progress: Study of a Mad Golfer's Daughter

**Inspired by Andrea Churchill's **_**Work in Progress: Study of a Mad Golfer. **_**Both the idea **_**AND**_** the title character belong to her. Although I don't own Bessie, I love the character, and I'm honored to come up with this story for her. UGH! Do I **_**HAVE **_**to go up to 100? I'm not sure if I can, or **_**WILL**_** do anything of the sort, I'll do my very best, and I promise that I will actually finish this, whether or not I write 100 "chapters." **

**Although Andrea gave hers the highest rating, I'm only giving mine a **_**T**_** rating, and I'll do my best to make sure there's nothing "too mature" in here. If there is, **_**PLEASE **_**don't be afraid to tell me. And yes, I know this story takes place in Scotland, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna have **_**ALL **_**my Scottish characters speak with a Scottish dialect. **_**Eh mean cuz writin' like tis is really annoyin' an 'gets on meh nerves. Maybe eh'll write like tis fer eh few characters, bu' NAE fer ev'ryone in te entire story! So PLEASE jus' use yer imaginations people! **_

**And one more thing. I don't own **_**any **_**of the characters in this particular chapter. They all belong to Andrea and Disney. So anyways, happy reading lads n' lassies!**

Rescue

Bessie didn't know how long it'd been since she moved from her father's castle to her grandfather's mansion. All she knew was that it _definitely_ wasn't a pleasant stay. Allan was easily provoked and always angry at her, which resulted in highly severe beatings if she wasn't careful. It was even worse whenever Will and Mary came by for a visit. Will would do nothing but mock and belittle the wee lass whenever he saw her. Mary wouldn't say anything to Bessie, but instead give her cruel, nasty looks, which was enough to scare her off and make her cry. However, there was a bright side to their visits. Mary would bring along the baby twins Brian and Belle, and Bessie always looked forward to playing with them before they were put down for their nap. Making the babies squeal with laughter always brought a smile to her face, especially after having to deal with her abusive grandfather every day. But lately, Mary hadn't been accompanying Will on his visits to the mansion, which meant that the twins no longer came by either, so now Bessie hid in her room all by her lonesome whenever Will dropped by for a visit.

But today, it was Allan who locked Bessie up in her room. She had gotten him mad once again, this time for watching television without his permission. She didn't mean to. The television was already turned on when she walked downstairs, and was curious to know what program was on. It was the news, and the newscasters mentioned a Duff Killigan, which immediately got Bessie excited since she knew that they were talking about her father. But the newscasters didn't seem too happy talking about him. In fact, they were actually reporting about a red-haired lass named Kim Possible and how she had defeated Duff Killigan in one of his—what they called—"dastardly schemes." Bessie was completely infuriated at the newscasters, the way they were talking about her father! Calling him mean names like "the world's deadliest golfer" and such! She was especially mad at this Kim Possible they kept praising on the television. What right did she have to hurt him like that? Bessie knew that Duff is the kindest person in the world, so he couldn't _possibly _have harmed her in any way.

"LEAVE MY DADDY ALONE!" she shouted directly at the television as loud as she could. That's when Allan heard her and reprimanded her for watching the television without his permission, ranting on about how television rots the brain and making her even more stupid than she already was.

Bessie tried explaining to Allan that it wasn't her that turned on the television, but he slapped her across the face without even giving her a chance to speak. Right away she could tell that her grandfather was _really _mad this time—and before she knew it; he clutched onto her arm tightly and dragged her up the stairs all the way to her room, thrusting her onto the bed.

"Now stay pu' ye bampot!" he roared. "An' don' come oot til eh call ye…or eh will kick yer cunt in, ye understand?" Bessie stayed silent the entire time. She could feel tears forming in her eyes, but she knew better than to cry in front of a hardhearted man like Allan…and if she so much as uttered a single word, her tears would spill out uncontrollably. She fought them back as much as she could…

"ANSWER MEH LASS!" Allan demanded. His harsh voice rang inside Bessie's wee ears and alarmed her delicate heart. That was it. She couldn't hold it in any longer. She grabbed the nearest pillow and sank her head deep into it, allowing her tears to break down the barrier and flow right out of her. She was hoping that if Allan didn't _see _her cry, the consequences wouldn't be as bad…he on the other hand…now feeling angrier than before…thought differently.

"Why ye no good dobber!" he thundered. Allan grabbed his granddaughter by the hair and yanked her head right out of the pillow. "Ehm pure scunnurt wit' ye, ye ken tha'?! Cryin' like wee babe an' all! Yer nuthin' bu' eh pure jessie—eh wimp—jus' like yer pa!"

It took no more than a millisecond for Allan to take his first blow at Bessie, pounding her brutally to the core as though she were nothing. The poor lass tried her best to fight back and escape from her mad grandfather, but it was no use; she was small and defenseless, and he was stronger and faster than her.

Allan pummeled Bessie until he saw that she was weak and bruised from his beatings and stormed out of the bedroom without another word, slamming the door shut on the way out.

Many hours passed by…and Bessie remained locked up in her room. She hadn't heard Allan call her out yet, but she didn't really care. It was much safer to stay away from him anyways. But still...staying in her room by herself for so long made her feel…rather lonesome. She never felt this lonely back at the Killigan castle. At least she always had someone to love her and keep her company, even when Daddy wasn't home.

"Daddy…" Bessie mumbled to herself. Oh how she missed him so. She wished that he was here with her right now...not only to keep her company, but to also keep hersafe and comforted, even inside a prison like Allan's mansion.

"Daddy…Daddy…" The name itself was now beginning to sound like a soothing lullaby to Bessie—causing her to close her eyes and imagine being back at the Killigan castle, with Duff holding her tightly in his big, strong arms and giving her lots and lots of kisses as he tended to the wounds and bruises that Allan gave her. Bessie felt happier thinking this, but she also couldn't help crying again because she knew that it was all a mere fantasy: she wasn't at the castle with Duff; she was all alone in Allan's mansion. What she wouldn't give to actually be held in her father's arms again...

All of a sudden, the sound of the door creaking open interrupted Bessie's thoughts and woke her up entirely. _Oh no!_ she thought, quickly sitting up. _Granpa's coming back for me! _Bessie realized that her eyes were still wet with tears, and if Allan saw that she was still crying…without giving a second thought, she jumped off her bed and ran to her closet as fast as she could to hide from Allan.

"Hello?" she heard a gentle whisper…that sounded absolutely nothing like Allan's thick, gruff voice. Now feeling curious rather than scared, Bessie opened her closet door a tad to see who had entered into her room. To her surprise, she saw a lady—with pale green skin—walking around. Bessie wondered who she was and why she was here.

"I'm here to help…" the lady said, as though she read Bessie's thoughts. "I'm a friend of your father's…"

"A friend?" Bessie blurted, then gasped and quickly covered her mouth, realizing that she had talked and hid deeper into her closet.

"Yes…he's a very close friend of mine…" she answered, smiling. "and that's why I'm here. I've seen how hurt he has been since they took you away. He misses you so much…I'm here to take you home to him."

"He misses me?"Bessie whispered, smiling at the thought. But she wasn't certain if she should trust this strange woman or not, even if she claimed to be a friend of her father's…unless…

She finally poked her head out of the closet. "H-How close are you and my daddy?"

"We've known each other for a very long time, and I care about him very much," the lady said.

"Do you love Daddy?" Bessie asked. If her father and this lady were friends, it must mean that they love each other, right? And if they love each other, it could only mean that this lady…was her ma! She just _had _to be! They both have the same black hair, even if the lady's is a little greenish. She didn't speak in a Scottish accent, but no one knows who she is, so who's to say that her mother is even Scottish to begin with? Besides, only a mother would have the courage to rescue her child and bring her back home.

"Can you tell me your name?" the woman asked, not answering Bessie's question.

"Bessie…" she replied.

"Okay Bessie. Are you ready for me to take you home?"

"Are you going to stay with us?" Bessie asked. If this _really_ was her mother, nothing could stop her from leaving.

The lady just looked at the wee lassie. "Well…uhh…I will if your father asks me to."

"And you promise you won't leave if he does?" she asked with a little hope in her voice.

"Yes, I promise," the lady said as she held her hand out to Bessie. "Ready to go?"

Bessie looked at her extended hand, then back up at her. "You really, _really _promise?" She'd gotten her hopes up—and then crushed so many times before when it came to having a mother in the castle; and Bessie wanted to be absolutely certain that this woman—who might actually be her mother—wouldn't abandon her and Duff like the other women have.

She smiled and nodded at Bessie. "Yes, I really, _really _promise I won't leave."

Bessie looked back down at the woman's hand for a moment, and then sighed. "Okay." She reached her hand out to grab hers and slowly crawled out of the closet, then looked back up at the lady. "But if you break your promise, I'm telling Daddy on you!"

The woman chuckled a little and picked up Bessie before heading out the door. She was carried downstairs where she saw Allan and Will together. She turned her head away from them and held onto the woman tightly, hoping that they wouldn't spot her or the lady sneaking out.

She heard Will asking Allan where the maid had gone…which confused her because she knew that there was no maid living in Allan's household. Next she heard Allan yell in anger and smash a bottle, which scared Bessie tremendously. She'd learned after living in the mansion for so long that no good _ever _comes when Allan has had a bottle in his hand.

"HEY!" she heard Allan shout behind them. Bessie gasped and held on even tighter. He'd caught them!

"Please don't let him catch me," she whispered in the lady's ear.

"I won't sweetie…I'm gonna get you out of here," she whispered back, then immediately took off running.

Allan ran after them. "HEY! GET BACK HERE!"

The woman kept on running until she'd reached the front door at last. She opened the door and set Bessie down, telling her to run as fast as she could to a jet outside and lock herself in. The poor lass felt deathly terrified. She didn't want to run out to the dark woods all alone, but she saw Allan coming closer at them and ran straight out the door without arguing.

Bessie ran all over the forest to search for the jet she was ordered to lock herself in, but she couldn't find it anywhere. Besides, she was more worried about her "ma" inside the mansion to really search for it. Allan was a strong man, and without a doubt, he would beat her mercilessly. No. Allan has hurt her many times, but she _refused _to let him get away with hurting a member of her family. That woman rescued her from Allan, and now it was her turn to do the same for her…but how?

She ran back to the mansion and stood on her tiptoes to peek through the window. She saw Allan grip tightly onto the woman's wrists and fling her against the floor, and then hit her body hard against the wall. But then—much to Bessie's amazement—her hands started to glow green, and then…plasma blasted at Allan, sending him flying across the room and slamming into a wall.

The woman saw Bessie outside the window and was distracted for a moment. But Bessie saw Will coming at "ma" with a knife in his hand.

"LOOK OUT!" she shouted. The woman turned her head and saw Will coming toward her. She dodged him, but she wasn't quick enough and he slashed her arm. She screamed from the pain, and Bessie screamed with fright for her.

Allan heard Bessie scream and ran outside to catch her. She saw him coming and started running into the dark forest again, but he was much faster than her. He grabbed her and wrapped his strong arm around her throat, as if enticing to strangle her. He turned towards the lady and threatened to do so unless she left his property and promised to never come back.

Bessie tried to pull his arm away from her neck, but the harder she struggled, the tighter he gripped onto her, choking her for real. She finally gave up and held her limp arms out to "ma," for help, her face beginning to turn blue.

"No!" the woman cried. "Put her down! If you don't, I SWEAR—"

But next thing everyone knew, there was a loud bang, and Allan let go of Bessie in order to kneel down and scream in ultimate suffering pain. Bessie didn't understand what was going on or where the loud bang came from; she just heard Will shout "YE SHOT PA! YE SHOT PA!" as he ran to help Allan.

Once Allan had released her, Bessie gagged and coughed until she felt that she had caught her breath. She stood up once her face had returned to its natural color, and behind Allan and Will…she saw Duff with a gun in his hand. She couldn't believe her eyes…was it really him?

"Daddy!" She ran past Allan and Will and ran to her father. He dropped his gun and opened his arms for his daughter to jump into. "Oh, I missed you _sooo_ much!" she cried as she hugged him tightly. Bessie did nothing but cry in her father's arms. Never in her life did she feel so thrilled to see him. It was what she wanted all along ever since she stayed with Allan, and at long last, she felt safe again.

Duff didn't say anything. He held her tightly in his arms as much as he could and didn't let go. He tried holding back his tears; he couldn't possibly imagine what he would've done if Allan had killed her. He picked up Bessie and saw the lady walk towards him.

"Duff…I…"

"Eh cannae describe how angry eh am fer whut ye tried te do!" he yelled. "Dye know how much trouble eh can get in wit te law?"

Bessie looked up at her father. "Daddy, don't yell at her! She was only trying to help! And I don't wanna be with granpa or Uncle Will." She buried her face on his shoulder and started crying again. "I wanna be with you! It was so scary, Daddy!"

"I-I was only trying to help…" the woman explained. "What they did isn't right…she deserves to be with you…"

Duff put his hand up to stop her. "Eh also cannae describe how grateful eh am fer whut ye did."

She looked surprised. "What? You are?"

"All these years eh knew Allan an' Will hurt her. Eh couldn't do nuthin', but ye taught meh tha' didn' matter. Meh girl wus bein' abused an' eh won' stand tha' no longer."

Bessie smiled and whispered in his ear, "Kiss her Daddy."

Duff and the lady both looked at her, and then at each other…as though she had heard Bessie as well.

"What are you waiting for, huh?" the wee lass giggled.

"Uhh…" Duff looked at his daughter oddly and then back at the woman. "Well Shego, once again ehm grateful."

She nodded in response. "Anytime…" They were all silent for a moment. "So I'll uh…see you around…" She turned around and started walking away.

"O-Okay…" Duff whispered to himself as he watched her leave.

"NO!" Bessie shouted, holding her hands out. "Please don't leave!" Bessie couldn't quite understand. This woman Shego rescued her, and then promised that she would stay with her and Duff, so why was she leaving? She was so sure that she was her mother…

Duff hesitated for a moment and then caught up to her before she'd walked far. "Ah…Shego wait. Dye want te come back te the castle? Eh'll make dinner. It's te least eh can do. Bess obviously wants ye."

Shego stopped and turned around to face him. "Are you sure?"

"Aye, positive," he assured her.

"Please?" Bessie pleaded, giving her the puppy dog pout.

Shego sighed and then smiled. "Alright…sure."

"Yay!" Bessie cried cheerfully, smiling wide.

They all got in his blimp and traveled back to the Killigan castle. When they walked in the door, Seamus ran down the stairs to greet them and got really excited when he saw Bessie.

"Hi Seamus!" she greeted the wee Scottie. "I missed you boy!" She knelt down to pet and kiss him, and he jumped at her and licked her face like he always did.

"Hey, I'll race ya to my room!" She got on her hands and knees in starting position. "Ready…GO!" She took off up the stairs to her room with Seamus behind her, running as fast as his tiny legs could carry him. They both ran until they'd made it to her room.

"Ha! I beat cha, silly boy!" Bessie laughed.

Seamus lowered his head and made his own puppy dog pout at his defeat.

"Aww that's okay," Bessie soothed the dog. "I love you anyways." She carried him onto her bed and kissed his nose, then he responded back by wagging his tail and licking her back.

"Hey! Seamus, stop it! That tickles!" Her squealing got him excited and he jumped on top of her to lick her entire face.

Bessie jumped off her bed and ran downstairs to get away from Seamus, but that only made him jump off and follow behind her. They both ran until they'd reached the kitchen…there she saw what was going on and gasped loudly and jumped up and down with excitement.

"YOU _**DID **_KISS HER DADDY! YOU KISSED HER!" Bessie had caught both Duff and Shego kissing in the kitchen, and they pulled away when they heard her shouting. Shego looked embarrassed and turned away, but Duff just snickered at his hyper daughter.

"Um…Bess, why don' ye an' Seamus go back te yer room, aye?"

Bessie felt that there was no need to argue with Duff, so she and Seamus both ran back upstairs. Once they were in her room again, Seamus looked dog-tired, as did she from all the playing and rough housing and just sat on her bed.

"Can you believe it, Seamus? I finally have a ma now, and I like her!" She looked down at the dog. "Do you like her, Seamus?" He perked up his ears and wagged his tail in response.

"Yeah, she's not like the ladies that Daddy's brought home. She rescued me from granpa and she cares about me and Daddy. Oh! And she promised that she won't leave, so she's gonna stay at the castle forever!"

But Seamus was no longer listening to his mistress and soon fell asleep on her bed. Bessie sighed and lay down next to him. She was starting to feel sleepy as well. Besides, she wanted to spend the whole day with her mom tomorrow, and she wanted to get a head start super early.

**Whoo! Finally done with chapter 3! It took much longer than I expected; sorry folks! But hey, you can't rush art, ya know? Part of this chapter was actually based on a Facebook roleplay that I did about a year ago with Andrea Churchill and Miss Sheila M. Go. Oh by the way, they both wrote fanfics based on the roleplay, so go ahead and check them out! They're really good! Also, I promise there's more on the way, so hang tight and enjoy what I've posted for now. **


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